Opened-face billboard



y 1939- H. E. BYRKETT ET AL 2,157,931

OPENED-FACE BILLBOARD Fild Aug. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l o o o 0 o 0 o :m-e-

Index Z0215.

M 1939. H. E. BYRKETT El AL OPENED-FACE BILLBOARD Filed Aug. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OPENED -FACE BILLBOARD Application August 1, 1938, Serial No. 222,464

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to opened-face billboards, particularly to the large, wooden billboards com.- monly used in outdoor advertising.

The use of molding strips to finish off the edges of billboards has been common in the billboard art. However, the esthetic effect of these moldings and indeed of the entire billboard is often destroyed by quantities of paste running over the molding when the billboard is being decorated. It is customary to apply the decorative advertising posters intended to be displayed on the billboard by pasting them onto the billboard, using long-handled paste brushes. During this operation, the upper molding and the two side moldings often become coated with paste because the person applying the posters is careless in handling the brushes; and the lower molding becomes coated with streams of paste naturally running over it, or brushed over it.

The object of our invention is to provide a billboard which will not be rendered unsightly from excess paste.

Another object of our invention is to provide an opened-face billboard, whose moldings are pro- 5 tected from excess paste.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent upon reading the fol lowing description, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

30 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of our billboard;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of our billboard, showing the opened face, while being decorated;

35 Fig. 3 is a much enlarged fragmentary elevation of the lower left corner of the billboard face;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View, taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken along the lines 40 55 of Fi 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, taken along the lines 66 of Fi 3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, taken along the lines !---1 of Fig. 8;

45 Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevation of a variation of our invention;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view, taken along the lines 99 of Fig. 7

Similar numerals refer to 50 throughout the several views.

Because the essence of our invention lies in the novel molding construction, permitting an opened-face, we shall not describe the billboard supporting frame I and grille 2, shown in Fig. 1

55 and Fig. 2, for they may be of any suitable design.

similar parts As shown in Fig. l and Fig. 2, the face of our billboard is composed of the usual poster panel 3, fastened to longitudinal rails 4, and supported upon a plurality of spaced blocks 5. The panel 3 is surrounded by and somewhat recessed in the 5 frame I.

The billboard is finished with moldings 6, T, 8 and 9, which are hinged to the frame I by hinges l2. It can readily be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2, which shows the lower molding 9 and the 0 end molding 8 opened, that the poster H] may be pasted to panel 3 by an ordinary workman without taking special precautions to prevent the excess paste from soiling the billboard, because in the opened-face position shown the moldings are 15 folded out of the way, so as to protect their outer, decorative surface. When the billboard has been decorated, the moldings are folded back to their normal position shown in Fig. 1, covering the edges of the poster panel 3, and presenting what 20 we term a closed-face. The clean outer surfaces of the moldings are then exposed, giving the billboard a very pleasing, Workmanlike appearance.

We shall now proceed to describe two embodiments of our invention, which differ chiefly in their method of supporting and locking the moldings in the opened and closed positions, respectively.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of the lower and upper left-hand corners of one embodiment of our billboard. It will be noticed that the lower molding 9 extends all the way across to the frame I.

The moldings are fastened to the frame I by means of hinges in a preferred embodiment of our invention. Thus, in Fig. 5, molding 6 is fastened by hinge l2 to frame I, forming part of the main supporting structure of the billboard.

The corner, including the slight clearance between molding 6 and molding 9, is covered by a decorative metal corner piece II, which is nailed tomolding 9. As a result, molding 9 must be opened before molding 6 can be opened. On the other hand, moldings 6 and 1 can be opened independently, because the cover plate 13, shown in Fig. 3, does not extend over and restrain molding 6. Similarly, molding 8 is restrained by corner plate l4, but not by corner plate I5.

The blocks l6 and 2|, for adapting a flat corner plate, such as shown, to the contour of the molding, are well shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows the same corner plate and molding as Fig. 4, but from a viewpoint just in front of the outer edge of plate II. It will be noted that plate II has a flange 22 at right angles to its surface, which Serves to finish off the end of the molding 9. This flange may be nailed to the end of said molding, for additional support to the plate.

In order to firmly hold the end moldings in the closed position, the corner plates H and I are provided with cleats, such as It, which engage the moldings 6 and 8, respectively.

Fig. 4 shows the detailed construction of the lower molding 9. The molding is nailed to a hinge bearing strip H, on which are located the hinges l2, fastening to another hinge bearing strip I8 supported by the' billboard frame I. Longitudinal rail 4 is provided with a plurality of plug members 20, bolted into deeply countersunk bolt holes 3| in the rail 4. Molding 9 is provided at a plurality of corresponding positions with bail-shaped socket members [9, which may suitably be screwed to the molding. Plug 28 snaps into socket l9, and retains said socket firmly enough to hold the molding-bearing socket in the closed position, but allowing opening of the moldings without difficulty. More or less of these convenient fastening devices are required, depending on the size of the billboard and the length of the moldings used.

The phantom view in Fig. 4 shows the molding in the opened-face position. The method of fastening the end moldings 6 and 8 in the closed position, not shown in Fig. 5, is the same as that depicted in Fig. 4.

In a second embodiment of my invention the functions of the hinges I2 and the fastening members IB and I9 are combined. Fig. '7 is a sectional view illustrating this modification, which view corresponds to Fig. 4 of our first modification. In this embodiment, an additional longitudinal rail 23 is required, to which are bolted a plurality of forked supports, each composed of two strong iron angles 24 having a slight offset 25 in their outwardly extending faces. Two of the iron angles are welded face to face, as shown in Fig. 9, to give a forked support adapted to receive a slotted member 26 which passes through the fork and is loosely retained by the pin 28. It is to be noted that the straight inner edge of the slotted member, as seen in Fig. 7, bears against the inner edge of the fork in a manner preventing rotation around pin 28. However, when the slotted member 26 is lifted until pin 28 is at the bottom of slot 29, rotation is possible because the curved lower portion 30 of member 26 is then enabled to rotate past the inner edge of the fork formed by the two welded angle members 24.

Slotted member 26 is bolted, or fastened in any other suitable manner, to the hinge bearing strip l! of molding 9. The molding, by its own weight, keeps itself in a rigid position because member 26 cannot rotate in the lower position. When the molding is lifted it may be rotated out of the way, preparatory to decorating the billboard, into the opened-face position shown in Fig. '7 by phantom lines. Fig. 8 shows an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the lower molding of a billboard, using the above described modification, in the closedface position.

The first described embodiment of our invention may be used where ease of operation is most desired. The second described embodiment may be preferred for its rigidity and economy of fastenings.

Having now described our invention, we wish to point out that other types of fastenings may be employed without departing from the spirit of our invention, which comprehends all billboards having movable moldings for obtaining an opened-face for ease in decorating, and the elimination of unsightly paste stains.

We claim:

1. In a billboard, a poster panel, a frame surrounding said panel, moldings hinged to said frame, retaining means fastened to said frame, and retaining means fastened to the moldings cooperating with said first mentioned retaining means.

2. In a billboard comprising a supporting frame, a poster panel, a frame surrounding said panel, and moldings hinged along the interior edges of said frame, a locking device comprising indented male looking members fastened to said supporting frame, and bail shaped female locking members fastened to said moldings and cooperating with said male member in holding the moldings in substantially coplanar relationship with said poster panel.

3. In a billboard comprising a supporting frame, a poster panel, a frame surrounding said panel, and moldings around the inner edges of said frame, a plurality of means for supporting said moldings comprising a slotted swivel plate fastened to said molding and having a curved lower portion, a forked support for receiving said plate, and a pin passing through said fork and said swivel plate in a position allowing the curved lower portion of said swivel plate to rotate around said pin when elevated.

4. In a billboard, a substantially rectangular poster panel, a frame surrounding said panel, moldings disposed around the interior of said frame and adapted to cover the margins of said poster panel, hinge means allowing said moldings to be swung open to expose the margins of said poster panel, means for holding said moldings in the closed position, corner pieces fastened to the ends of the lower of said moldings and extending over the ends of the two side moldings in a manner preventing the opening of said side molding before the opening of said end molding, and corner pieces fastened to the ends of the upper of said moldings but not extending over the ends of the two side moldings.

HARRY EDGAR BYRKE'IT. CURTIS HENRY DIAL. 

